[Miyamoto Ikana]

Kyobona Ikana found herself thinking. That was just the kind of kid she was. She thought a lot, and she was always busy. She smiles a lot in front of other people, she goes along and makes herself seem like a pretty good kid. She worked hard and ran a business, contributing to the village economy. She'd been more social in affairs of the village. Giving out food to people. She rose out of abject poverty and was doing well. She made a friend, and a pupil she was teaching now. Yet. Something in her life still felt largely empty. She patrolled the street today, in the afternoon. Her eyes were tired. As she slowly made her way to a stand, seating herself down. Her eyes were sullen, just for a moment. Before she slowly curls her lips upward. Closing them as she claps her hands together. 

"Aha! It's been so warm today! One Mizumen please! Extra boiled beef with hardboiled eggs and seaweed please!" It was one of her favorite stalls. Here, she could have cold buckwheat noodles with a savory vinegary broth. The Karashi mustard could provide a tang and spiciness that refreshed her. Here, she could enjoy a good meal for a modest cost. She deserved it. After sitting in that fucking room, for hours, and hours. Slip of paper after slip. Making hundreds. Thousands. Tens of thousands of fucking slips over the past few years. Maybe even hundreds of thousands. She kept her eyes closed, taking a deep exhale as she held onto the nice lacquer chopsticks they gave out. Distractions kept her from her darkest thoughts. Good food helped. 

"Here you go kid. Your usual." There was a sound of familiarity, and as she sat down to eat, she opened her eyes. Refreshed with a small vibrant bit of light in them. As she slurps her noodles, strand by strand. Cucumbers would soon be in season. She loves a fresh cucumber on these noodles. Something few people might realize. How slowly she ate her food. Food was life. She respected and honored it. Honestly. She wanted this to be her last meal. Not that she could think of much of anything better. The food reflected her perfectly in more ways than one.

[Miyamoto Ikana]

As she found herself eating, she found herself looking through a booklet about the theory of Suiton jutsu. As well as notes on the fluid transformation of water techniques. How they were incredibly fluid and how water was diverse but could also come in a number of forms. It could be hardened, it could use high pressure, or it could be used for its viscosity and suffocating nature. Ikana had been familiar with more than a few of these methods. So. With that said, she found herself experimenting with the theory craft until eventually she found herself with a prospective technique in the book.

The Water Shuriken Jutsu. A basic elemental manipulation that would allow for the user to create Shuriken made from water with the same cutting capability. It was a simple but incredibly simplistic jutsu that seemed invaluable in case one ran out of Shuriken. As basic as it was. Something to add to an arsenal. Considering she already lacked a number of techniques, she figured that learning something like this could be pretty interesting. Noting the technique, she found it was going to take some practice and discipline. Not like she didn't have that in spades to say the least. Thus, after she ate, she found herself headed to her nearest lake or river in the wilderness.

Seeking to continue her growth in privacy and away from prying eyes, she figured she needed her own tips and tricks.

[Miyamoto Ikana]

Ikana had continued to look through her records, studying through the book in question. Jutsu Theory was something she was interested in as she sought greater understanding of the jutsu she was performing as opposed to just winging it with gut feelings. That said, as she began investigating and studying her ninjutsu, she found herself putting it together that the handseals would allow for her to better fluctuate the chakra in her system. Mold it in a different way that was more complex and intense. So, she began experimenting with her handseals. Focusing on the water before her.

Focusing on the chakra, she ran her hands along the water and flung forwards. The water began to fly outwards in a bulky form and began taking shape. Though it seemed misshapen and deformed. They flew through the air as semi hard masses, but her control seemed to be lacking. She might not have distributed the chakra evenly, or put enough to formulate the shape just right. However. it was a good step to get her bearings to say the least. Understanding the technique a bit more intimately, she watched as the water misshapen lumps began to fall off into the distance with somewhat louder thumps. With that established, she would understand and comprehend her first attempt.

She'd reflected on what she might be doing wrong. She'd try again.

[Miyamoto Ikana]

Running through the seals again, she gathered her chakra and began channeling her hands through the water, funneling it through. Try to feel a better sense of rigidity than previous. She began to focus on the shape manipulation and tried to focus on the hardness and the sharpness. With her technique beginning to move into fruition, she had flung her arms outwards again. Her Shuriken flew outwards. This time a little bit harder in their shape and a bit better defined. In her mind, it definitely wasn't a chakra issue now. It was control. With her issue recognized, she began realizing that it'd take some fine tuning. As all techniques did. However, she was pleased to know at least what she was doing wrong.

She was determined that before the end of the day, she'd get the technique to a useable level. She was determined more so that the next time she used the technique, she would have it combat ready. So. Ikana began to play with the idea of manipulating the change in shape and the change in nature. She was increasing the surface tension of the Shuriken in such a manner that when it hit against a target, it could be hard, and also do piercing damage with defined edges. In Ikana's mind? That kind of technique was rather invaluable. Especially considering it could be used when she herself ran out of ninja tools.

What more. When the Shuriken were blocked or dispelled, she'd be able to use them for further Suiton techniques.

[Miyamoto Ikana]

With the jutsu's potential realized, she formed the technique again, and this time, she focused deeply on her concentration. She focused on pressuring the water, guiding it forth and compressing it into a flatter and harder shape. It was very possible that this wasn't how her technique was supposed to work by any means. However, she began channeling her chakra through. Feeling the running water through her hands as she envisioned the outcome in her mind's eye. As she flung the blade outwards again, she could see it more clearly now. The Shuriken flew in the air and were flatter and more defined. Whirring outwards, but slower than she would have expected or would have liked.

Though as they flew out this time, a fair distance, whirring through the air, they landed with a resounding metallic seeming clang or thunks as they hit against the rock. That was what Ikana would consider good progress. Development as she analyzed what she'd done right, and what she needed to do from there. She'd gotten the basic fundamental right to some degree. However, what she needed now was practice in the speed and execution. She'd never be able to use the technique as it was if it took this long. So, taking the liberty to take a momentary break, she would repeat this process a few times. To ensure she got a rough general idea of where she was at. The right "feeling" she needed to make the technique work in her mind and polish it.

[Miyamoto Ikana]

There was that old saying. Something along the line of slow and steady progress was progress all the same. Flinging watery Shuriken after Shuriken, she'd been able to now more easily conceptualize and get the shape and sharpness to what she was looking for. As she played with the speed, she had found herself marginally getting more accustomed. Though she was a perfectionist. Ikana was never truly happy with a technique unless she was sure she had it down to the basic perfection. Because that was what Ikana started with. Nothing much more than the very basic fundamentals.

Dancing with the technique, she'd found herself taking minor notes as she went through this repeated process. It was harder to really accomplish something without much of a reference. The most complicated thing Ikana had ever made with her chakra was a bloody sphere. That took ten handseals to perform correctly. So, with that idealized, she began flinging handful after handful. Shuriken. Shuriken. Shuriken. The whirring sound in the air made it clear that her technique was aerodynamic and she was gradually increasing their flying speed as she flung them faster and performed the technique with a greater precision. Alright. Ikana could work with this. It was a lot more involved and less mindless force than a lot of her other techniques.

With her reflection in mind, she allowed herself some time to rest and reflect.

[Miyamoto Ikana]

Getting more experience in the Water Shuriken Jutsu, the young Ikana began playing with making the Shuriken even sharper. Now taking the liberty to swap targets. Swinging her arms outwards, she decided to assault a nearby training post. As she lashed outwards, she could see the Shuriken were sharper, flew at a decent speed, and slapped against the hardness of the wood. However, as she struck against it, she could see chips and fragmented pieces of wood. However, she didn't see the deep indentations she was hoping for. She didn't see the deep hole marks that she would have witnessed from a proper thrown Shuriken. To prove and test this theory, she threw her own metal ones at the same post.

She didn't see the same proper thunk and deep splintering that she was supposed to. Performing the technique on a side by side comparison, she realized that her Shuriken were losing force and momentum. Perhaps this had in part to do with the fact that the water she was using was limited in its capabilities. Regardless? She didn't believe that for a second. She was certain that with the proper execution, she easily could have struck out and splintered into the log deeper than she had. Her Shuriken weren't sharp enough. With that determined? She went right back to the cutting board. Refining the technique as practice made perfect. Her eyes scanning the Shuriken as she launched one after another. Some of them thunking with more or less lethality as she swung outwards.

Still. It was good knowledge. She could validate she was making fantastic growth. Ikana was nearly certain now that with but a few simple refinements, she could officially add a new jutsu into her arsenal. Simple and pedestrian a technique as it may be, it would help her on her quest.

[Miyamoto Ikana]

Eventually. As Ikana began to use comparisons between her Shuriken and the watery counterparts, she began to see them at a level she could at least say she felt more comfortable with. "Mizu Shuriken no Jutsu." She calls forth. With a fling outwards of the arm, she watched as they flew forth. In truth, she didn't really care if they had been ten or not, but she began to see the deep piercings she was hoping for. The wood that splintered now was deep and as the water dispelled, she could see lines of bark beginning to peel from the surface. Couldn't get much better than that. However, it was easy enough to use the technique in such a manner. She wanted to refine it further until she was sure it couldn't be. If such a possibility was a thing anyways.

Ikana began swinging at the log repeatedly. Deeper and deeper did the water Shuriken lash out and strike against the wooden surface as it began to peel from the force she subjected it to. Until it began to get deformed and creak from every launch she sent upon it. Ikana was almost even willing to say that this technique was more efficient than even using normal Shuriken. After a number of repetitions, she could hardly tell a difference between the watery samples and the real deal. Eventually the log splinters and cracks entirely, falling apart. With that revelation? Ikana could finally say she was satisfied with the simple and basic mastery of the jutsu. There were but a few steps left however.

Namely, it was time for the Kirigakure genin to apply it more actively rather than standing still.

[Miyamoto Ikana]

Taking this new technique Ikana had utilized, she began observing the handseals again. Studying them, she began to run forward at a fast speed, lashing out in her burst movement as she formed the handseals. Swinging her arms outwards, utilizing the Suiton chakra, Ikana formed her watery Shuriken before flinging them outwards towards different targets. She watched with a sense of satisfaction as her projectiles landed and sunk in different targets. She continued her movement, and as she swung her arms outwards again and again, she found herself able to land multiple satisfying thuds as she guided the Shuriken forward. With every strike, she could hear the satisfying marks, and she found her confidence increased each time her blows ran deep.

The technique was incredibly cost efficient for chakra, and she felt fairly confident that she could utilize the jutsu even in areas where there wasn't much water for her to pull from. Lowering her arms, she found herself enjoying the progress, and imagined how good it would be when applied on actual opponents. Against a common bandit or pirate, she figured she'd be able to litter them not a problem. Her wrath was cold, calculated, and the technique was so simplistic now to her, she wondered how she could have struggled so hard to learn it in the first place. Regardless. What was done was done. This genin was close to being done with her training. She just had a few finishing touches.

[Miyamoto Ikana]

Writing the name of the technique in her journal of observations in her log for Suiton development, she began listing her progress regarding Suiton and the number of techniques she'd mastered. She had listed her realization and understanding of shape mastery, chakra nature, chakra form, and how the technique felt in comparison to the other ones she'd learned thus far. With this realized, she'd compared it to her semi vast plethora of techniques she'd come to realize. Some might say it was a boring or somewhat pointless thing, but she found that retaining information and growing on the experience was fairly important.

Dancing with ink on paper, she firmly found herself believing she had a firmer and greater understanding of the Suiton element after observing and playing around with a variety of different jutsu with utility usage. Sometimes it felt like she was finding a greater difficulty in her advancements than she would have liked, but with every passing day and hard effort, she was getting closer and closer to obtaining her greater goals. With her jutsu technique listed down, and all of its finer details, she waited for the ink to dry on the parchment before finally shutting it completely. Ikana had felt as if she had essentially plateaud and reached a level of prowess and could say she was comfortable.

There was a final aspect left to do.

[Miyamoto Ikana]

The final aspect of course was comparing and contrasting her techniques and this arsenal with her other techniques. Over the next few days and weeks, Ikana would spend her time formulating new uses for her jutsu and begin utilizing them in combination with her other jutsu. This was taken into consideration her clones, her hidden mist technique, and any other potential combinations she could think of. It was important to apply this technique now to her daily life, and she began to expand upon ideas on how it might help her train in other techniques in the future. Especially as she found herself thinking.

Her jutsu overall weren't anything special, sure, but Ikana could definitely say with a certainty that she was beginning to reach new heights. As she continued investigating nature transformation and change in chakra form, she had used the Water Shuriken Jutsu's experience to hopefully find greater depth in her other research as she continued to study both texts, but also other Shinobi in how they utilized their jutsu. Refreshed and with a better outlook in the coming time, Ikana battled with the prospect of expanding her repertoire even further in her desire to master the element of water. With her conviction and her experience garnered and consolidated, she advanced to the next step.